Book #79: "Never Have Your Dog Stuffed and Other Things I've Learned"

 

Growing up in the 80s and 90s, I was of course familiar with M*A*S*H; my parents certainly watched it and I'm sure I have seen quite a few episodes, though I was a very small child when it stopped airing. (I thought I remembered watching the finale; turns out I was way too young for that and my memories are all of reruns. That surprised me and I had to check a couple of times to make sure I wasn't crazy.) I don't remember a lot of specifics; mostly character names and a couple of bits (Frank and Margaret's affair; Klinger's penchant for dressing up as a woman in hopes of getting discharged, etc.) but it has seeped into my consciousness nonetheless, and I became a fan of Alan Alda's sort of accidentally, the way I sometimes do. (I'm sure I'll talk about that in depth at some point.)

Watching (and then becoming mildly obsessed with) The West Wing not long after it went off the air some 30 years later meant I was able to become a fan of his on purpose, but I didn't know much more about him or his body of work (the only other things I can recall seeing offhand are The Aviator, in which he weirded me out, and The Blacklist, in which I wanted to slap him.) As I read the first few chapters and noted his references to the events of his childhood, I guessed that he was about the same age as my maternal grandparents; turns out he was born the year between them and got married about a month before they did, so there was satisfaction in being right. But more than that, I was absorbed by his stories, his candor and his writing. I had to slog through the previous two books and was relieved when I finally finished them; this one I was a little sad to put down.

Author: Alan Alda

Potentially objectionable content: Some language (though it's used pretty sparingly); like the autobiography of Julie Andrews, there are "thematic elements".

Book #78: "Louisa May Alcott: A Personal Biography"

 

This is the third and last Louisa May Alcott biography I own (see the others here and here) and it was also the hardest to write about. It's riddled with errors both factual (e.g. Elizabeth Alcott is referred to at one point as the youngest sister, though like her fictional counterpart she was actually the third of four) and technical (commas occasionally roam away from where they belong and make a home for themselves wherever they land.) 

But irritating as they are, the errors pale in comparison to the author's refusal to focus on her purported subject. Instead, a varied cast of historical figures (Thoreau, Emerson, Walt Whitman, Henry James, Dorothea Dix, John Brown; the list goes on) as well as Alcott's sisters, mother and friends all march onstage to support the real star of the show: Bronson Alcott, whom the author clearly loathes, nevertheless basks in the limelight while poor Louisa is relegated to the wings. And while he was interesting enough in his own right, and books could be and have been written about him and his relationship with his famous daughter, she deserves top billing in a book with her name on the cover.

The focus on Bronson and his theories is particularly odd in a narrative that also spends significant time on the issue of women's rights, both now and in 19th-century New England. What little space Louisa is alloted in the book repeatedly mentions her support of what we'd refer to today as a feminist agenda, though this seems entirely based on her desire to support her family and her choosing not to get married (indeed, it may have been practical and not philosophical concerns that kept her single.)

So to sum up: my primary objection to this book is that, with a subtitle of "A Personal Biography", it is abundantly clear that the only person whose thoughts, ideals and feelings matter to the author is herself.

Author: Susan Cheever

Potentially objectionable content: the author's constant speculation on most characters' sexual orientation

Book #77: "Watership Down"

 

Well. This was a SLOG for me; I'm just gonna come right out with that.

My first time being aware of this book was while reading "Wait Til Helen Comes" as a kid (don't worry; it's coming later. See what I did there? Even if I didn't already own it, I'd have to get it so I could make that joke.)

ANYWAY, at one point the main character, Molly, is reading "Watership Down." Since Molly is I think twelve, I assumed this would be more of a children's book, and it's very much not; it's 475 pages long, and it's...just not very interesting. (It has FOOTNOTES, for crying out loud.) I almost aborted this one as well, since ain't nobody got time for boring books about rabbits, but it's something of a classic and I just this second realized I didn't want to be a literary sissy compared to a fictional twelve-year-old. So...I clearly have some stuff to figure out, but at least I can blame it on Mary Downing Hahn. (Other things too; wait til I get to the Hs. HA. Did it again.)

Author: Richard Adams

Potentially objectionable content: Interestingly, all the references to more adult stuff are made innocuous by being expressed in Lapine, Adams' rabbit language. But it's quite violent in places and those passages are in fairly descriptive English, so animal lovers should probably steer clear. It's also very much a book of its time (1972) so there are characters who speak in dialects that are maybe not explicitly racist (though mostly by virtue of being animals rather than people) but are pretty easy to identify nonetheless.

P.S. If you think I'm joking about either the violence or the not-for-kids bits, take a look at this, from the 1978 movie:

 

DEMON RABBIT NIGHTMARES. Spare yourself.

Book aborted: Part the Second

Being a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (colloquially "LDS" or "Mormon") definitely isn't as hard here as it once was. I've never really been persecuted for what I believe; never been jailed; never been tarred and feathered; never been driven from my home by an angry mob. The worst I have ever endured for the sake of my religion is some snide comments and some ignorant questions. To be clear: I never mind questions if they come from a place of genuinely wanting to know the answer, but I have better things to do with my time than to satisfy idle curiosity or correct ridiculous rumors.

I do find, however, that I occasionally run across references in pop culture that are...less than flattering, let's say. I mean, I get that people do and say dumb things, and I also know it's not the worst thing to have a reference at all, even an unflattering one. Someone might see it and have a real interest and want to know more, and I'm in favor of that.

But when a character in a book points out that she's a vegetarian, and the immediate response is to ask if she's "one of the Latter Day Saints lot...with the funny underwear", and then the response to THAT is to reassure that she's not a cult member...look, it's not so much that offhand idiocy is offensive, or that I am personally bothered by it (though it is and I am.) In this instance, it's that it's so LAZY. First of all, vegetarianism is nowhere in our doctrine, so why would someone, even someone who doesn't know much about it at all, make that logistical leap? Had it been the character turning down alcohol, that would have made a lot more sense. 

That aside: funny underwear and being in a cult? That's the best the author can do? In all the "weird" things about the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (and there are some, at least from an outside perspective), she couldn't find a better target? It's in the same vein as stupid criminals for me: if you've decided that path is worth your while, make an effort, at least! Don't be BAD at it, because then what have you gained?

Nothing, is the answer to that, even though Alice Adams got whatever percentage of the price I paid for this book (although it can't be much, since I bought it from the bargain section). There's a decent chance she would have lost my attention anyway; 25 pages of surprisingly large print in, I wasn't invested in either the characters or the story. (I can only assume the font size was chosen to stretch the lackluster prose to a publishable length.) But by shoehorning in a ludicrously cheap shot to satisfy whatever petty antipathy she cherishes, she shifted me from neutral/bored to active dislike.

Title: Invincible Summer

Potentially objectionable content: See above. Plus language and sexual references 

Book #76: "Fifty-Nine in '84"

Modern technology is kind of amazing. A few years ago, I was getting ready for work one Friday morning, which happened to be a payday. With one hand I was blow-drying my hair, while with the other I was paying bills. I can browse the internet, send emails, play games, and even write out my thoughts on books from this small device that was originally intended to make calls. Remarkable.

The subject of today's book (another library-sale acquisition, I think) played baseball in a time where the first telephones were a novelty, and would no doubt have been in awe of this sorcery. Indeed, as he pitched his way to 59 wins without the benefit of medical help for his sore arm, rest for his beleaguered body or even a glove for his left hand, he might well have believed my ability to compose an essay without even getting out of bed the ultimate in laziness. 

Impressive as this feat was, the telling of it drags, with details unnecessary to the narrative and continual deviations to tell the backstory of minor characters I frankly didn't care about. But it's nonetheless fascinating to see how the game has evolved over time, and to learn about a record that is unlikely, in today's iteration, to ever be broken. 

Author: Edward Achorn

Potentially objectionable content: Not that I noticed; there are some references to various unsavory habits and language, but they are couched, as befits the era, in euphemisms.

Book #75: "Super What?"

I spent a little while fighting with this thing in order to paste a picture of the cover and then gave up. So what I'll do instead is paste a link: 

https://www.thriftbooks.com/w/super-what_jax-abbott/1470865/item/#edition=3327993&idiq=2817352

Thriftbooks is my favorite place to buy books, by the way. They're typically used (though they do sell new copies of some things) but usually in pretty good shape, and they give you free shipping if you spend $10, which is just an amazing deal. PLUS you earn free books! So all in all, better than buying from Barnes and Noble (more on why I'm mad at them later.)

ANYWAY, now that I'm back, I'm catching up on everything I haven't done yet. My plan is still to do this alphabetically by author, so the categories will be all over the map, and I have a bunch of A's to cover.

Based on the spine, it appears I acquired this from the annual book sale at my local library, although I'm not sure when. (Quick aside: the library book sale is one of my very favorite things. It usually happens right around-or sometimes on-my birthday, so it is VERY much a happy birthday to me! And the prices are just RIDICULOUS; it's 50 cents for paperbacks, $1 for hardbacks, or $5 a bag, so I come home with anywhere between 20 and 50 new books every time. My method for choosing them is something like, "Hmmm. That looks interesting." End of aside.)

It's a charming and very teenage look at developing superpowers; set in high school, it's naturally filled with Queen Bee drama, missed homework, and agonizing over crushes and first kisses. But it also tackles some deeper issues: rebelling against parental control, fighting back against bullies, dealing with loss. It ends a little abruptly (and a little too neatly; there's no real stakes) for my taste, but it's sweet and funny and made me glad I have long since left my teens behind. Plus there's an alligator!

Author: Jax Abbott

Potentially objectionable content: It's pretty tame, but there is some crude-ish humor, and teen issues are present: bullying, menstrual cramps, dating, etc.

It's been a long time since we've rocked and rolled

Since the new year is almost upon us, I have been thinking about resolutions. I never mean to let them fall by the wayside, but most of them inevitably do. Much like this did.

Still, new year, new opportunities for a new me. So I am going to start again. I went through my library document and sorted it by author, then highlighted the ones I have already done. Since it's been a while (cough YEARS cough) I have acquired many more books. My plan is to go back to the beginning of the alphabet and cover anything I missed/didn't have at the time; then I'll continue on from where I left off. Coming soon to a blog near you!